


Communications with the Dead

by Wanna_be_goodr



Category: Ghosts (TV 2019)
Genre: Button House, Canonical Character Death, Captain/Robin, Cute, Death, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Get it?, Ghosts, Horrible Histories - Freeform, Morse Code, Nonsense, Passing, Slice of Life, Swearing, Well - Freeform, all the other ghosts are mentioned but only in passing, cos they're dead, living/dead friendship, six idiots, sorry - Freeform, very light angst for cap and robin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:47:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25678345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wanna_be_goodr/pseuds/Wanna_be_goodr
Summary: I’ve seen a couple of ideas about Robin and Mike bonding through Morse Code and I fucking love that shit. I added The Captain because he’d obvs know MC and also he needs more friends and then suddenly this whole ROBIN/CAP backstory set itself up in my head and I fucking love that shit too. Not necessarily shippy, but feel however you like about it. It's a small mention but when I wrote it I kinda shipped it bigtime and now... I think I need more Captain and Robin contentJust Mike having a chat to a few of the ghosts
Comments: 20
Kudos: 148





	Communications with the Dead

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully the folk who inspired this aren’t angry at me stealing the idea – I tried to add stuff to it so it wasn’t copying!! AHHH! Anyway, hope you enjoy! Please leave a kudos/comment, I need validation from strangers on the internet! :)

The Captain had wanted to teach the others for a few years after he died, but Fanny wasn’t interested, Humphrey was nowhere to be found, Thomas thought the limited speed of it would damage his art – “for rhythm is the soul of poetry, words the heart, and I cannot deprive my work of its soul!”, and Kitty and Mary were happy just chatting with each other –as ghosts, they didn’t see the point in learning a ‘language’ that depended on being able to touch things or control light.

Robin, however, could control light. Well, he could tamper a little with the electrics if he focused. And that was enough. The captain drilled Robin and soon the caveman was fluent. At first, Robin would flicker the lights when the Captain entered a room, and the younger ghost would send a twinkly-eyed, amused look at Robin in answer until they could talk. Later, when new ghosts arrived and the two wanted a secret form of insulting Julian while he was in the room, Robin would turn the lights on and off, and look to the Captain, whose moustache would twitch with each new letter. In turn, the Captain would tap out a response with his swagger stick on his side, and Robin would watch eagerly, deciphering the other ghost’s message. The two became firm friends, despite their many obvious differences, and generally got on well. 

When Mike arrived and was left out of the communication loop, Robin wanted to help.

“We make Mike happy. We talk special with code.”

“Now, Robin, do you mean to say we should try to communicate with Michael?”

“Uh huh. He lonely with Kim Wilde talking to rest. He not can talk to rest.”

“But what if he doesn’t know Morse Code, hm? I don’t think the modern civilian learns that sort of thing…”

“He have books or comp… tomcuper… comtuper… in-net!”

“Ah, I see… well, let’s talk to Alison and give it a shot then.”

“Talk to Alison about what? What’s wrong now, guys?” Alison asked as she walked up the corridor the two ghosts were huddled in. The two turned to look at her, and the Captain began.

“Ah, Alison, nothing to worry about, just a simple query. You see, we – that is to say, Robin – noticed that your Michael is a little left out, what with your being able to converse with us.”

“…Right…” 

“Well, Robin and I have been talking to each other through the use of Morse Code, which is a code consisting of –“

“- dot dot, dash dash all that, yeah.”

“Exactly. Well, we wondered -”

“ - I wonder”

“Yes, Robin wondered,” The Captain amended, “if Michael might be interested in trying to talk to some of us through Robin. You see, with his abilities with the lights, Robin can make the dots and dashes of Morse Code, and if Michael were to learn it, he himself could translate Robin’s signals and…”

“And he could talk to you, if Robin was willing to act as communicator,” Alison finished for the two slightly apprehensive ghosts. She was touched, and knew Mike would be too. These guys had turned themselves around since the plague pit discovery debacle. They really were making an effort, and now they were even trying to be friends with Mike! 

“If he want to, he need learn code. But then is easy! Just need know letters,” Robin was noticeably excited at the idea of talking to Mike, and Alison suddenly thought of just how lonely he must have been for the hundreds of years he had spent alone on this land, waiting for someone to talk to. 

Robin had always been a people person, eager to make friends and learn new things. The Captain had thrilled him with his Morse Code – a secret way to talk, just for them! It was not only a critical tool in Robin’s communication, but also a sign of friendship. The austere military man had always felt isolated in life, and was horrified to learn he’d have to spend the rest of eternity feeling the same way in death. But just as Robin had leapt out of his chair at the chance to learn Morse Code, so to had the Captain’s heart (metaphorically, clearly). He’d managed to make a friend here! Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad after all.

And now they could share it with someone else! Someone who was also somewhat of an island in his own home, despite having a wife to share his years with. Another lonely man who needed a friend.

Alison thanked the dead men for thinking of Mike and promised to tell him as soon as she could. Once the living inhabitants of Button House were sat down for dinner that evening, Alison told her husband of the ghostly offer. He was shocked that they’d thought of him at all, and even more surprised at their wanting to talk to him. It seemed like only yesterday they’d returned from the hospital and Alison was stood in the drive, raging at the thin air in front of her, which apparently raged back and demanded they both leave Button House for good. However, Mike appreciated their efforts, and readily accepted. 

The next morning, he set up his laptop with a tab showing a grid of Morse Code letters in the sitting room and waited for Alison to round up any ghosts who wanted in on this activity. After an awkward wait in which Mike wondered if the ghosts were already in the room and waiting for him to start, Alison entered and told him both the Captain and Robin were there, with Pat, Kitty, and Mary in tow.

“Um… Hi guys. Thanks for thinking of me Robin, by the way.”

“Is ok,” Robin said for Alison, then, for Mike, the lights flickered. Mike grinned and thanked the Captain for his part in this operation. Another flicker for Mike, as Alison heard the older man clear his throat and tell her husband it was no bother.

Pat wanted to go first (“I just want to say hello!”), but Robin insisted he should have his turn first (“Was my idea!”). Pat agreed, and Alison asked the women if they wanted to have a go. Mary was unsure, still not being a fan of electricity as it seemed to her that it skirted the line of witchcraft. Kitty wanted to make friends with Mike but was apprehensive about tiring Robin out, so said she’d chat to him another time if this went well. Robin licked his lips, shifted his weight from foot to foot, then raised his arms and spelt out:

.... . .-.. .-.. --- / -- .. -.- .

“’Hello Mike’ – Hey Robin, nice to speak to you. You’re a caveman, right?”

A pause, then more flickers.

-.-- . ...

“’Yes’,” Mike translated, but before he could say anything else Robin grunted and the lights faltered again.

\-- . / --- .-.. -..

“’Me… old’?” Mike read out, then he chuckled. “Ah, I see. Yeah, I guess you are! Alison tells me you’re still young at heart though – nice trick hiding in the fridge that time! Great spot, wish I could fit in there… and not freeze to death…”

Robin grinned and let out a giggle, then realised Mike couldn’t hear and got to work.

.... .- / .... .- / .... .-

“’h…a…h…a’ – oh, you’re laughing! Nice,” Mike said, and looked over to Alison, who smiled back at him. Then she looked to the centre of the room at people Mike couldn’t see and nodded.

“The Captain has something he wants to say, so it’ll still be Robin working the lights, but the Captain’s words,” Alison informed Mike. He nodded, then looked at the lamps expectantly. Alison left the room to start painting some skirting boards upstairs, happy that her ghosts were treating Mike nicely. THE ghosts… she meant THE ghosts, not HERS... Kitty followed her, excitedly chattering about talking to the living.

... --- .-. .-. -.-- / ..-. --- .-. / .... --- - . .-.. / - .... .. -. --.

It took a while for Mike to translate the Captain’s phrase, but when he did he smiled.

“’Sorry for hotel thing’. Thanks. It was frustrating, but I guess it was for the best. This house is pretty cool,” Mike grinned, and the ghosts knew that despite how much Mike loved the huge garden and lake and gravel driveway that made him feel posh, in that moment he meant that they were pretty ‘cool’ – a concept Pat had to explain to the others, but which they were all flattered by once it was understood.

Then Pat’s turn came.

.... . .-.. .-.. --- -.-.—

“Hello to you too! Um… who is this now?”

.--. .- -

“Oh hey Pat! Nice to meet you,” Mike started, then he had an idea, remembering that Alison had told him Pat was a scout leader. “Hey, did you ever watch Blue Peter?”

Pause.

-.-- . ... -.-.—

“Great. When I was a kid I entered this competition for a Blue Peter badge, and -”

At this, the lights flickered, but Mike couldn’t match the pattern to a letter or piece of punctuation. He was confused, then there were more flickers.

IS ROBIN. PAT EXCITED. SORRY. NOW PAT. WORDS NOW.

BLUE PETER IS MY FAVOURITE! I GOT A FEW BADGES. DID YOU WIN ONE?

“Yes! Do you want to see it? It’s in our room, one sec,” Mike shot the last of this over his shoulder as he rushed upstairs. Pat seemed to vibrate on the spot with excitement, thrilled that not only was Blue Peter still going, but that Mike had a tangible reminder of it. He hadn’t been wearing his badge when he died, and now he supposed he missed it. Seeing Mike’s would be great!

Mike returned and held out his hand to the empty room, hoping the ghosts would still be there. Or, at least that Pat would be. The excited flicker of lights that followed told Mike that yes, Pat had stayed, and was thrilled to ribbons by seeing the badge. Pat desperately wanted to talk more to Mike, to ask him how he got the badge, and maybe tell him a bit about himself and his own badge-earning antics, but he could tell Robin wanted to say something else now and reasoned to himself that he could always talk to Mike tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the next... Smiling, Pat said goodbye through Robin, and Mike put the badge down.

IS ROBIN AGAIN.

“Hey Robin. Thanks for translating everyone for me. This was a really nice idea – maybe we can do it again?”

YES!

“Brilliant! Thank you. I’d love to keep talking but Alison and I have to sort out all the skirting boards and doors this week, so… Bye, I guess,” Mike said to the room, a little sadly. The lights flickered again.

NO LEAVE

“Huh? You want to say something else? OK, go ahead”

There were long pauses between the flickers now, and Mike wondered if Robin was tired. Could ghosts get tired? Did they need to sleep? These guys weren’t exactly like the typical ghosts in horror stories Mike knew about, so he didn’t really have a clue. He focused on trying to work out what Robin was saying to him now.

… B …

Mike translated out loud.

… O …

Again, Mike repeated it back to the seemingly empty room.

… O …

Mike laughed, shook his head, and left to help his wife with their DIY. He didn’t see the excited scoutmaster, the smirking Captain, or the ecstatic caveman he left behind, who was grinning from ear to ear at the retreating form of his new friend.


End file.
